Good times in Bad Segeberg

Languages pupils spent an exciting week in Bad Segeberg as they made the return trip to visit their German exchange partners.

The group spent the first day at Städtisches Gymnasium school with their partners before settling in to the homes of their German host families.

The following day the group visited the Town Hall and met the Chairwoman of the local administration who told them more about Bad Segeberg.

Pupils spent the weekend exploring, relaxing and socialising with their host families. Many of them visited Hamburg, some played laser tag in Lübeck and one of the pupils tried golf for the first time with his exchange partner.

On the fourth day of the trip the group went to the Hansestadt museum and then to look at the new Elbphilharmonie building, a spectacular concert hall which opened in 2016.

The next day the pupils went to a museum in Flensberg which is very close to the Danish border.

On the penultimate day of the expedition the group had a tour of the Holstentor museum followed by a trip round the local shops before sampling the exquisite chocolates and cakes in the Niederegger café.

After an emotional farewell – complete with hugs and tears – the group left their exchange partners to head to the airport. When they got there they discovered their flight had been cancelled due to Storm Doris. After a short stay in a nearby hotel, the group set their alarms for an early start to board the flight back to Manchester.

Despite some initial nerves before the trip started, lower sixth pupil Christopher Corcoran said: “My host family were lovely and welcoming. I had one of the best school trips ever.” Fifth year Cornelia Kolusi added: “I feel brave to have been able to come out of my comfort zone and come away with such an amazing experience.”

When asked if they would recommend taking part in the German exchange to younger pupils, Christopher said: “Definitely do it, my German improved so much and I had a great time”, while fifth year William Howard added: “It’s an experience you’ll never forget.”